Ukraine: CFWIJ Deeply Saddened by the death of Oleksandra Kuvshynova and Pierre Zakrzewski outside Kyiv by Russian forces

Location: Ukraine, Kyiv
Date: March 15, 2022

Fox News Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra (Alexandra) Kuvshynova and the camera operator Pierre Zakrzewski were killed on March 14 by incoming fire by Russian troops, near the village of Horenka, outside Kyiv. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is shocked and deeply saddened by this horrible incident that has taken two more journalists lives. We call on Russian and Ukrainian forces to ensure safety for journalists covering this ongoing conflict in Ukraine. We reiterate our call for journalists in war zones to be protected as obliged by international laws. 

According to news reports Oleksandra and Pierre died from injuries sustained during the attack, while another correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured and remains hospitalized. 

Zakrzewski and Kuvshynova died “as a result of artillery shelling by Russian troops in the north-eastern part of the village of Gorenka”, according to The Guarding quoting Ukrainian website kp.ua. 

Oleksandra was among other women journalists in a list compiled by the CFWIJ reporting from the war zones in Ukraine. These killings mark three journalists to be killed while documenting Russia’s war on Ukraine in less than a week, while several injured.

Svyatoslav Yurash, a former Fox News fixer who was familiar with the case, told the Committee to Protect Journalists in a phone interview that the team’s car was clearly labeled as “Press” at the time of the attack.

“We are outraged at the reckless attacks on journalists by Russian forces. In a single week three journalists have been killed by Russian forces and we see this as a deliberate attempt by the Russian state to silence the press. The CFWIJ demands Russia to stop targeting journalists who are unarmed and only trying to do their job as witnesses,” said CFWIJ founding director Kiran Nazish.

As the Russian invasion forces continue to make advances in Ukraine, at least five journalists have been killed and a number of media workers in the country, local and foreign, have come under attack. 

The attack against the Fox News team comes one day after the American film-maker and journalist Brent Renaud was shot by Russian troops. Brent was shot on March 13 in Irpin- a suburb of the capital, Kyiv, according to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry. Two other journalists were injured in the attack. “Brent was in the region working on a TIME Studios project focused on the global refugee crisis,” TIME said in a statement issued shortly after the killing.

Russian military forces have attacked at least four radio and television towers as the war rages on. A hit on the Kyiv TV tower left five dead, including Evgeny Sakun, a cameraman working for the Kyiv Live local TV channel who was on site.

Earlier this month, Majda Slamova, a journalist from Czech Republic and three of her colleagues came under the fire of Russian soldiers as they drove through Makariv, near Kyiv. Fortunately, they were able to escape unscathed. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is deeply saddened by the death of Oleksandra and Pierre. We strongly condemn the attacks on journalists and media workers by the invading army. The violence and aggression has put many of our colleagues at risk as journalists strive to bring accurate information to citizens and the international community at large. Their rights and safety, as secured under international humanitarian law, must be protected.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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